Trinity
Sunday.
The
Collect.
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LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace,
by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity,
and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity; We beseech thee
that thou wouldest keep us stedfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from
all adversities, who livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen.
1 A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a
just weight is his delight. 2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but
with the lowly is wisdom. 3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them:
but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
4 Riches profit
not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death. 5 The
righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by
his own wickedness. 6 The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them:
but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness. 7 When a wicked
man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth.
8 The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his
stead. 9 An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through
knowledge shall the just be delivered. (Prov 11:1-9)
The next several verses and chapters of Proverbs are profound principles
condensed into single sentences. So we will proceed with care not to lose the
greater meaning of each according to our best understanding.
When I was a young officer assigned to Korea, the Military Police began to
harass many of my Korean employees when they came to the gate to enter the
cantonment area. They took a particular interest in harassing the young ladies
- perhaps in hope of favors. After lodging a complaint with the Commander,
Military Police, and gaining no satisfaction, I began going to stand at the
gate daily to supervise the actions of the MPs. This irritated them to no end.
But the satisfactory outcome was that they stopped intimidating the Korean
workers entering the gate. One disappointing fact that emerged was the
complicity of the Military Police with black marketers, and even their direct
involvement in black marketing. The Military Police vehicles were not subject
to search as they left the military compound. I discovered that their jeeps
were often loaded with contraband such as numerous cases of beer, or
electronics from the Post Exchange. It is a particularly egregious miscarriage
of justice when those who are charged with upholding the law are the very
foremost violators of it. It is tantamount to the Attorney General, sworn to
uphold justice in the nation, violating his oath of office. 1 A false
balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his
delight. Those merchants who trade in electronic transactions
encumbered with hidden fees and charges are also operating with a false
balance. The dishonest practice of charging too much for services or material
seems to permeate our modern economy. This is an abomination in the eyes of the
Lord. Those who remain upright and honest in their business dealings are a
DELIGHT to the Lord.
The Lord will lift up those who are humble of heart, and demean those who are
lifted up by their own presumptive pride. 2 When pride cometh,
then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom. Hear the counsel
of Christ: And whosoever shall exalt himself
shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
(Matt 23:12) In a manner of speaking, PRIDE is also a false balance. It
advertises a false goodness and character. There is no justification for pride
of works or of conscience for it is the righteousness of Christ alone that
redeems us. It is the humble one who is seldom disappointed or disgraced, and
the proud who, like Lucifer, have a mighty ruin. Pride led to the vanquishment
of a great Angel. Do we feel that we might be an exception? 10 All
they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou
become like unto us? 11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the
noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. 12 How
art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut
down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said
in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the
stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides
of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be
like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the
sides of the pit. 16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and
consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did
shake kingdoms (Isaiah 14:10-16)
3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the
perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them. When we speak
only truth and honesty in our dealings, we will not have to navigate the myriad
traps of lies that we have invented. We will not be trapped by our falsity and
deceit. Our memories will be free to consider the abundance of truth instead of
the quagmire of lies with which we are ambushed continually.
4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness
delivereth from death. This is basically a reinforcement of
Proverbs 10:2 (Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness
delivereth from death.) The 'Fool's Gold' of worldly riches will
evaporate in a single second when the Scroll of Heaven is rolled back at
Christ's Coming. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are
therein shall be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10) All earthly treasures shall
perish with the earth in fervent heat - much like the "world that then
was" was destroyed by water in the days of Noah. I prefer to have my
treasure on deposit where neither moth or rust can get at it - the depository
of Heaven. Jesus ALWAYS has the precisely correct answer: Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where
moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But
lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matt 6:19-21)
5 The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the
wicked shall fall by his own wickedness. What does the
Author mean by the righteousness of the perfect? What is it? It is the
obedience to the Word of God without reservation or question. There is no
excuse, either, for ignorance to the Law of God. He has given us a Book. Shall
we at least READ and STUDY that gift? The wicked
fall by their own wickedness - very true. God condemns no one to Hell - we
condemn ourselves if we go there.
6 The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but
transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness. Ah,
yes, nice word - naughtiness. Any departure from the will of God is both
naughty and sinful. Those who claim the righteousness of Christ are delivered
from their shame thereby just as the filth and odor of the pig sty was covered
by the Father's BEST ROBE for the Prodigal Son.
7 When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the
hope of unjust men perisheth. Yes, their wealth, fame and
pelf are destroyed at an instant - they even lose their names for no name is
needed in the fires of Hell. And hope is extinguished at the drawing of the
last breath. If we have not made provision for our souls at the last, there IS
no provision for our souls.
As "all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of
heaven were opened. 12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and
forty nights" (Gen 7:11-12) the unbelieving wicked occupied the
lands of Noah and his family, but their occupation of those lands became their
prompt graves. When God removes His righteous from the world, the wicked to
occupy their places in a burning furnace. 8 The righteous is
delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.
9 An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but
through knowledge shall the just be delivered. The lives of
many innocent have been made miserable by the loose tongues of the gossiping
wicked. Out of the mouth come the treasures of the heart and, if those
treasures by lies, torments, and hate, the whole of the community can contract
the hurt of that mouth. The hypocrite builds his case with as much public
remonstrance as he can muster. He is as a vandal among the masterpieces of
society - only tearing down to destroy. But the just will not be deceived by
the cheapened arguments of the hypocrite. Like a trained bank teller, he is
conditioned to know real currency. When a false bill passes through his
fingers, he recognizes immediately that it is not genuine. When you have
learned and studied diligently the Word of God, no ten-horned saint can lead
you away with fables and traditions of men.
